


White Butterfly

by dmsgkysh



Series: Fantasy Ensemble [2]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Bromance, Camaraderie, Developing Friendships, Gen, Heroes, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Legends, Memories, Minor Violence, Reincarnation, Self-Sacrifice, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22760785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmsgkysh/pseuds/dmsgkysh
Summary: The mage of the ocean makes an oath to stand beside a broken hero.
Relationships: Morisawa Chiaki & Nagumo Tetora & Sengoku Shinobu & Shinkai Kanata & Takamine Midori, Morisawa Chiaki & Shinkai Kanata
Series: Fantasy Ensemble [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1438744
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> *All stories in this series take place in the same universe.  
> *This part focuses on Kanata and Chiaki’s relationship, and the birth of Ryuseitai. The story was inspired to some extent by a song called “White Butterfly" by Shim Eun-kyung, thus the title of this story.  
> *Just like Sewing Hearts, updates will most probably be slow!

It hurts.

Every time he moves an inch, the wounds on his body ache sharply. Even so, the boy grunts and manages to get up to a sitting position on the ground. Slumped by the wall, he tries to catch his breath and gazes up at the dull sky. It seems about to rain.

_Meow._

As he wipes the blood off his swollen lips, an adorable white kitten with black and orange spots ambles toward him through the narrow alley. Green eyes round and innocent, it meows again and stares up at him, as though checking his condition.

“Are you okay, kitty?” the boy whispers through the metallic taste in his mouth.

When he extends his trembling hand, the kitten comes closer without hesitation and rubs its tiny face against his grimy fingers. He lets out a small chuckle.

“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

No matter how tattered and broken he is, if the one he wished to save stays safe and sound, that is enough for him. He can be happy from the bottom of his heart.

That is how a true hero should be.

“Hey, if you don’t have a name, can I call you _‘Mike?’_ ”

The kitten blinks slowly and meows, moving its small paws to cuddle to his side. He clenches his jaw. A raindrop falls onto his messy brown bangs, and more follow the tear tracks on his bruised cheeks.

It hurts. But for the first time in his life, he feels that he deserves to live.


	2. Meteor

Floating near the surface, the boy looks up at the blue sky. Long, blue hair spreads out below his head. He loves the summer, since he can wade into the cool water at any time without having to worry about catching a cold. Even though he doesn’t know how to swim, it doesn’t matter. One simple wave of his hand, and the ocean will kindly be his boat.

_Rendezvous in the blue, blue sea_  
_Dissolve the sky and the sun reflected on the water’s surface_  
_Slowly swaying, swaying with you to wherever_  
_Let’s aim for the arch of light beyond the horizon_

Responding to his calm song, the tides push and pull along with the rhythm, and Kanata breaks into a light chuckle. The ocean is his second home, his inseparable friend. It talks to him every day, recounting the places and people it has seen. It wakes him up in the mornings and sings him to sleep at nights. It celebrates his life and stands as the reason behind his birth.

He doesn’t even want to imagine living apart from the ocean. Without its wonderful presence, he might shrivel up like a dry plant and disappear.

“ _Puka, puka_ …”

Kanata raises his hand from beneath the surface of the ocean. The salty water freely escapes from his palm, trickling back to the ocean through his open fingers. Drop, drop. He closes his eyes, fully relishing the tickling sensation.

How relaxing.

Everything else is luxury of no use. If he has the ocean by his side, he does not need anything at all.

-

Since little, Kanata has been different from other mages.

Even his birth was somewhat peculiar. The day he was born was toward the ends of an especially hot summer in Knights. But that night, white butterflies appeared mysteriously around his home and fluttered in front of the windowsill of his room.

His parents immediately had a presentiment that the child was special, which turned to certainty a few years later, when they discovered that Kanata could use magic proficiently without having received any of their teachings.

Nobody—not even Kanata—really knew why, until a strange visitor came to Knights a few years later. With the permission of the village head, the man stayed for several days at the abandoned house near the beach. One afternoon, he spotted Kanata, playing alone by the ocean as usual. With a cheerful smile, the man came closer and addressed the boy.

“Hello, lovely child!”

“…Hello.”

Kanata replied curiously. He glanced up at the man’s long silver ponytail and recalled the excited conversations of the village children, in which they were talking about a “silver-haired magician” from another town. Supposedly, this magician would entertain them every day by the beach with unbelievable magic shows.

“You're the ‘magician’ that everyone’s been talking about.”

“Amazing!” the man exclaimed happily. He pulled out a red rose from thin air and handed it to Kanata. “You are absolutely right. I am your Wataru Hibiki!”

Wordlessly, the boy took the rose. Its fragrance was fresh and sweet, and its petals perfectly maintained their vivid color, as though it had just been plucked. Perhaps, the rumors were right; this man might be a remarkable magician.

Or something slightly different.

“Dear child, let me tell you something,” Wataru spoke first before Kanata could voice the question in his mind, “It will be a little secret between you and me. Are you aware of the meaning behind a white butterfly?”

Puzzled, the boy lifted his head to find a white butterfly, wandering around the rose. It must have been attracted to the scent. When Kanata shook his head, Wataru smiled, but the expression seemed nostalgic somehow.

“Reincarnation.”

-

The reddened sky is the cue for Kanata to head back home. If he could, he would love to stay day and night in the ocean, but his body is still human. Whenever a completely soaked Kanata crosses the wet sand to head back home, his stomach growls for a delicious meal. Parting with the ocean is regretful, but it is not a goodbye, so he is not sad; after all, he will be coming back after dinner. Smiling, he simply squeezes the water out of his long hair, wondering what his mother would have made for dinner tonight. His father is a fisher, so they usually have seafood for meals, a custom which Kanata is always delighted about.

As he walks up the beach, he spots two young men, having a conversation near the crossroad that splits into the beach and the market. Kanata only knows one of their names—Tetora, who teaches swordsmanship to children. Although they’ve lived all their lives together in this village, Kanata has never spoken much with Tetora.

That’s the same with any other person in the village, however. Kanata doesn’t really mingle with people, not because he dislikes socializing but simply because he feels that it’s not necessary. Why seek for more company when he already has an inseparable friend? He is perfectly happy with the ocean.

The other man in front of Tetora has a tall, muscular build, and hair as crimson as a red sea anemone. His sharp eyes resemble the glowing green corals. Kanata doesn’t know his name, since he came to this village relatively recently, but Tetora refers to him as “Master.” Kanata secretly calls him a “red ogre” because of his fierce appearance.

“I don’t know. The forest just feels a bit ominous these days,” Tetora’s master mutters, “I feel like we should avoid training there for a while, Tetsu.”

“Well, if you say so, Master. Do you think another bandit’s snuck in there?”

“Maybe. It felt as though someone were lurking amongst the trees.”

They must be talking about the Forest of Oath, a thick and vast forest at the edge of the village. It extends from there to a town called Akatsuki, so it is under the supervision of Leo and Keito, the heads of Knights and Akatsuki. Some people like to hunt there during the summer, and Tetora also trains there from time to time with his students. Nonetheless, children are not allowed to go there, especially not on their own because there have been cases in which some of them got lost. Robberies and assaults that target travelers have occurred as well. All of the culprits were captured speedily thanks to Leo and Keito’s cooperation, though.

The delicious scent of steamed seafood interrupts Kanata’s momentary dwelling on the forest. It is coming from the open kitchen window of his house. Kanata lets out a small chuckle, and his expectant steps grow faster as he reaches the front door. The marvelous taste of the ocean is waiting for him once again.

-

Just past midnight. The town bell gongs from the distance.

Chiaki jumps to his feet from the edge of the bed and smoothens out the creases of the organized covers with his palm. Swiftly, he grabs the lantern from the top of his desk and pats the left side of his waist to ascertain that he is carrying his short sword. Everything is ready.

He tiptoes to the door and opens it as slowly as possible to prevent it from creaking. By the dim light of the fireplace at the living room, he spots Jin, snoring lightly on the old couch. Bottles of wine occupy the small table beside the sleeping man. With a resigned sigh, Chiaki smiles and turns around. He takes out a blanket from the chest of drawers.

“Man, even though I told him to go to his room before he falls asleep…”

Chiaki shakes his head and drapes the blanket over Jin’s sleeping form. Jin is Chiaki’s foster father. Chiaki was raised in an orphanage in Eden before Jin adopted him and brought him to Akatsuki. He doesn’t know much about his past—just that he was found crying in front of the orphanage when he was a child. When the orphanage staffs asked him about his family and his hometown, he knew nothing except for his name—Chiaki Morisawa.

Even so, Chiaki does not wallow in his origins because he has always been happy while living with Jin. Although Jin’s frivolous behavior and his unwavering love for alcohol make him seem unconvincing to be a good father, he has never forgotten to take responsibility and care for Chiaki. Whenever Chiaki looks back, he only recalls all the fun and heartwarming times he has spent with Jin, and he is tremendously grateful for that.

After checking that the glowing fireplace is warm enough for Jin, Chiaki finally heads to the front door and quietly slips outside. He dashes through the dark, the lantern swinging in one hand. Summer has begun, but night in Akatsuki is still chilly, so he is glad that he is wearing his capelet.

It is not the first time he sneaks out like this in the middle of the night, but Chiaki has never told Jin about it. He might be aware of it already, however. Despite that Jin appears easygoing and clueless, he is actually sharp at things happening around him. Chiaki can tell that Jin is keeping quiet on purpose because he believes that there must be a good reason behind the constant nighttime escape.

And Chiaki believes there is. He must fulfill his job as a future “hero.”

Since little, he has dreamed of becoming a hero. A person who protects the weak, fights the injustice. Even though he is yet to reach adulthood, Chiaki is always alert to fight against any “villains” that threaten people’s safety, such as petty thieves in the marketplace or drunkards that harass innocent passersby. He helps anyone in distress as well, from children to elders. Some nights, he patrols around the town on his own to ensure that there are no disquieting incidents. In addition, he has been training martial arts and swordsmanship with the help of Akiomi.

Akiomi works as a winemaker, along with Jin, and the two men are close friends. They met a long time ago, while they were working for the same lord. Unfortunately, that is all Chiaki knows because they evade talking about their past. However, Jin once mentioned that he and Akiomi are “sinners.” Also, Akiomi’s fighting moves and techniques are far from those of a knight. Based on such hints, Chiaki vaguely guesses that they might have been assassins.

Perhaps because of that, both Jin and Akiomi were profoundly against it when Chiaki asked them to train him. But when Chiaki kept begging tenaciously that he wants to use their skills as a “hero,” they gave in. Akiomi accepted to become his teacher, since Jin has a permanent injury on his right leg that makes him limp slightly.

Everything Chiaki does is in preparation to joining Akatsuki’s peacekeeping association, which maintains order throughout the town. When he becomes of age next year, he plans to enter the association and be a peacekeeper that has the legitimate power to protect the townspeople. His ideal image of a hero.

As Chiaki reaches the town hall, he decides to check on the stray cats. He loves cats, so he has been taking care of stray cats by providing them with secret shelter and food. He jogs around the tall town hall to its backside, which touches the edge of Forest of Oath. He built the shelter near the starting point of the forest path so that it can be hidden by trees and big bushes.

Usually, he only visits the cats during the day, but in the afternoon, he heard some hunters talking about the forest. Supposedly, they saw some strange people in dark hoods, concealing themselves behind the trees. Also, multiple carcasses of small animals had been left behind in the forest overnight, but oddly, only their blood seemed to be lacking. The hunters were suspicious that it was the hooded men’s doing. Fishy. Are they bandits? But what would bandits need animals’ blood for?

After hearing such conversation, Chiaki became a bit worried about the cats, so he wanted to make sure that they were safe. If what the hunters said is true, he might have to move the cats’ shelter to another place, far from the forest.

Chiaki slows his steps as he reaches the cats’ shelter. After leaving the lantern on the ground, he crouches down and calls in a hushed voice.

“Guys, are you there? It’s me.”

A few seconds later, a calico cat appears from the shelter between the bushes, followed by other cats. The calico cat, _Mike_ , stretches her body lazily before approaching Chiaki, who welcomes her with open arms. As he pets her soft fur, _Mike_ purrs and rubs her face against his thigh. Soon, the other cats also gather around him, asking for his attention.

“Sorry for coming in the middle of the night,” Chiaki says, petting each cat with love, “I just came to check on you guys during the patrol.”

 _Mike_ yawns, causing him to grin apologetically. Now that he’s ensured their safety, he should let them rest. He lets go of _Mike_ and stands up to announce his leave.

“I’ll be back early in the morning, everyone. I think I’ll have to move your home somewhere else.”

Seeing them again has made him resolute on moving the shelter. What the hunters said might be nonsense, but better safe than sorry. He doesn’t want to lose something precious to him again. As Chiaki watches the cats disappear between the bushes again, he tries to think of possible locations for the shelter around town.

 _Mike_ is the last to return to the shelter. Nonetheless, she suddenly stops in front of the bushes and stares at the forest, perking up her ears. After a long moment, she begins loping toward the forest.

“ _Mike?”_ Chiaki calls, surprised, “Where are you going? Come back!”

He snatches the lantern and darts after her, afraid that something might happen to her. Although Chiaki adores and takes care of all the cats equally, _Mike_ is special. She has been with him the longest, and above all, she is the one who rescued him from the pit of self-hatred and guilt.

The one who changed a coward into a hero.

Widening his strides to catch up to her, Chiaki extends his arm forward to illuminate his sight with the lantern. He doesn’t want to lose her in the darkness.

“ _Mike_ , the forest might be dangerous right now!” he exclaims, “You can’t go far in there! Stop!”

As though having understood his plea, _Mike_ immediately comes to a halt. Chiaki sighs with relief as he pulls her up into his arms. He frowns sternly, looking into her clear, green eyes.

“Sheesh, don’t run off like that again, _Mike!_ Do you want to give me a heart attack?”

 _Mike_ meows in reply, and Chiaki cannot help breaking into a smile, only to stiffen.

The peaceful atmosphere changes in an instant. Chiaki lets go of his lantern, which falls and shatters into pieces. In the darkness, he pulls _Mike_ close to his chest and hurls himself to the ground.

 _Thunk_.

An arrow embeds itself into the tree trunk behind him. Chiaki first glances down at _Mike_ , whom he’s covered from the impact with his body. Though trembling with fear, she is thankfully uninjured. Adrenaline courses through his veins as he tries to get back on his feet. He has no idea who is trying to attack him and why, but he must get out of here. He cannot put _Mike_ in danger—

“Ugh—!”

A shadow suddenly jumps out from amongst the trees, and he is thrown back down, losing hold of _Mike_ in the process. A blade swings down toward him, but Chiaki instinctively unsheathes his shortsword.

A loud clang rings throughout the forest as the two weapons collide. Supporting his shortsword with both hands, Chiaki blocks the attacker’s blade. He squints through the dark, but the man above him wears a black hood, which makes it impossible to discern his identity. Is he a bandit or something different, as the hunters said?

A hiss reaches Chiaki’s ears. His attention momentarily flits to _Mike_ , who is glaring at the enemy as if she were about to pounce.

“NO!” he yells with all his might, “Go…! Go home, _Mike!_ Right now!”

Startled by his loud command, _Mike_ fixes her green eyes on Chiaki. She glances warily at the enemy for a second, but eventually wheels around and flees from the scene, towards the exit to the town hall.

As _Mike_ disappears out of sight, two more hooded figures come rushing from the interior forest. Chiaki grunts; he needs to get away before they arrive. Since _Mike_ is safe now, he doesn’t restrain himself anymore; pouring strength into his arms, he pushes against the enemy’s blade. Just when his opponent loses balance, Chiaki swings his sword, sending the blade flying away. Back on his feet, he strikes the enemy near the neck with a round kick. The man screams before falling and remaining motionless on the ground.

Chiaki turns back, but two other hooded men are already blocking his escape route. He tightens his grip on the shortsword, glowering at the four surrounding men. They slowly close in, poised to kill. His heart hammers inside his chest. Although he’s applied Akiomi’s teaching to tackle one or two people down, those were just brawls involving some trifling punches and kicks—not even simple martial arts. This is his first time engaging in a combat where his life is at great risk. Where he might have to end someone else’s life to survive.

The tension breaks without warning. The hooded men spring at him simultaneously from all sides.

Relying on his instincts and memories, Chiaki blocks and parries the incoming attacks with his shortsword, combining martial arts as well. For some time, the battle seems to be working to his advantage, as the enemies don’t seem highly proficient in swordsmanship or physical fight. But the problem is their number. When he is about to take one or two of them down, more appear continuously from the dark. On top of that, he cannot forget about his ideals; heroes must have a big heart, even to the enemies. All the time, he avoids inflicting any fatal injuries, concentrating solely on leaving them unconscious.

Suddenly, another arrow whizzes past. Chiaki spins his body, getting out of the arrow’s way by an inch. Taking this chance, one of the men takes him off guard from behind.

“Argh!”

Chiaki cries out as a searing sensation shoots across his back. Due to the deep cut, he barely has the time to dodge as the enemy thrusts his weapon again, and the blade digs into his left arm. Clamping his jaw, Chiaki swallows the pain and raises his shortsword to counterattack. Nonetheless, another opponent on the left steps in to stab him. He realizes he cannot move his left arm now, and it is also too late to throw a kick. He is in no condition to take on multiple men anymore.

It’s the end.

“Ugh!”

Chiaki blinks. That scream is not his.

The two men who were about to finish him drop to the ground, and one other behind them falls dead as well. As the remaining men look around in stupefaction, Chiaki catches a glimpse of the weapons embedded in the dead bodies—throwing stars. 

Sadly, he has no luxury to speculate on their owner right now. Through the precious distraction, he immediately dashes into the forest, in the opposite way from the attackers. Every movement bothers his injuries and makes him groan. The least he can do is sheathe his sword and grab his left arm, soaked in blood.

With only a few streaks of moonlight to guide him, it is difficult to see what’s coming ahead, more so because he went astray from the forest path to hide himself amongst the trees. Tripping and stumbling, he continues to push himself uphill and downhill. On the other hand, the enemies have torches. Their shouts and footsteps follow persistently, becoming louder each second. Chiaki forces his hazy brain to work. He must think of something, a method to lead them away for good—

“Ah?!”

In the dark, his foot slips over a smooth, slippery surface. Losing balance, he feels his body tumble down and roll over a rocky incline before the ground completely disappears beneath him. For a fleeting second, he sees the stars above, the top of the cliff growing farther away.

_Splash._

Chiaki holds his breath. He must have fallen into the ocean next to the forest. Although that’s luckier than cracking all his bones on plain ground, he can see nothing. He struggles to swim with one arm to the surface, but there is no light that shows him the way, and he can’t even tell up from down. With each ticking second, his tortured lungs cry for oxygen. Desperately, he keeps on swimming through the stony blackness.

_Chiaki, you and I will be fellow heroes when we grow up~!_

He hears the voice of his most admired hero. Madara—his kind smile, his unwavering gaze to the radiant side of the world. His unhesitating back, jumping bravely into the flames amongst the chaos.

It’s getting colder. The pain is slowly fading. Everything is quiet. Chiaki feels his body float, as lightly as a fleck of dust. However, his heart is heavy with shame. He has achieved nothing. He won't be able to hold his face up if he were to see Madara again.

Through his blurry vision, he sees a flicker of pure, blue light. It gradually becomes bigger and brighter until it chases the darkness away. The time must have come. Wistfully, Chiaki lets his eyes flutter close.

Is this what Madara witnessed as well back then? 

-

Kanata’s eyes snap open in the dark room. The humid summer breeze enters through the open window, playing with his long bangs. Alarmed, he sits up on the bed with a serious expression.

His friends in the ocean are upset. _Hurry, it’s something urgent,_ they are repeating. The waves echo their demand, hitting the sand vehemently.

“Okay, I’ll be there~”

Right away, Kanata climbs out of the bed and gets out of the room. Paying no mind to his tousled hair, he rushes out of the silent house. As he jogs to the beach, an uncanny feeling lingers in the pit of his stomach. Something is disturbing the peaceful blue of the ocean. He frowns, trying to figure out what its source might be. A little uncomfortable, warm, and eerie.

Blood?

His guess is confirmed when the beach comes into sight. Washed by the white foam, someone is lying face-down on the shore, soaked from head to toe. A group of glowing blue fish is gathered in the shallow waters, surrounding the motionless stranger. As he closes the distance, Kanata realizes that it is a young brunet man. There is a large, horrible gash on his back, from where blood is still oozing out and spreading through his clothes. Disconcerted, Kanata kneels down beside the man and taps on his shoulder.

“Hello? Can you hear me~?”

No response. Carefully, Kanata turns the man's body over and checks his breathing.

“He isn't breathing...”

As Kanata tilts the man's head back, the waves slide in, seeping into his clothes with a sigh. Kindly, the mage brushes over the water’s surface with his lean fingers and nods once.

“Do not be sad~” he whispers soothingly, “I will try my best.”

Pinching the man's nose, Kanata takes in a deep breath and leans down.

Soft, cold, and salty. After blowing air, Kanata pumps the man's chest with both hands. Throughout the entire time, the glowing blue fish swim near them, as though watching over the scene with concern.

Sudden violent coughs. Kanata straightens up with relief as the man begins coughing out water. When the coughs have ceased a little, the man opens his eyes weakly. He seems about to sink back into unconsciousness any second.

“Where…” he croaks almost incoherently.

“You are in a village called Knights,” Kanata replies.

The man moves his lips as if to say something, only to cringe and grab onto his left arm. Noticing that he has suffered another injury, Kanata decides to waste no time. Otherwise, the ocean will get impatient.

“Don’t worry~ You are safe. I will take you to the town physician.”

Kanata helps the man sit up and turns around so that the man can draw an arm around his shoulders. Holding onto the man's thighs, he stands up without even a slight wobble.

As he walks up the beach with the stranger on his back, Kanata begins humming a mystical lullaby. His clear voice and the lapping waves ring in harmony, and the man slowly falls into an irresistible but serene sleep.

The mage doesn’t stop humming until he has reached the physician’s door. When the lullaby finally stops, the waves in the distance move back and forth at their own rhythm once again. The glowing blue fish swim joyfully before dispersing from the shore and returning to the depths of the ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The translated lyrics for Marine Blue Rendezvous were taken from the English Ensemble Stars!! Wiki. I know the update is REALLY slow (sorry...), but I haven't forgotten this series!


End file.
